


Four Seasons

by WishfulSagi



Category: Never Have I Ever (TV)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Future Fic, Post-Canon, Slow Burn, may add later, not sure about tags
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-31
Updated: 2020-07-09
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:33:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24472828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WishfulSagi/pseuds/WishfulSagi
Summary: Devi's walk through life was not easy. There were hurdles and pitfalls. But one pole star was always there to guide her to the right way, no matter how far it was from her world.Alternatively: Devi and Ben's journey through the four season's of life.
Relationships: Ben Gross/Devi Vishwakumar
Comments: 36
Kudos: 55





	1. Endless Summer Nights

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, this is my first fanfic on Devi x Ben, and first on AO3 as well. There are few things I want you to note:  
> \- English is not my mother tongue, so in case of any obvious mistakes, please point out to me.  
> \- Never have I ever... been to the US. All my knowledge about the country and life there is from movies, TV and internet. Please let me know if there are any glaring errors in the descriptions.  
> \- This story begins where NHIE Season-1 ends, and will cover several years in Devi and Ben's adult life. If you are solely looking for a teen romance, I am sorry this will not be it entirely.
> 
> I hope you will enjoy the story. Please let me know in your comments. Thanks.

..................................  
It started with a kiss...  
..................................

How was it possible for Devi's lips to move in sync with Ben’s lips with such precision? They had never kissed before. Her only experience in kissing was with Paxton once, although it was far more ephemeral than the one happening at the moment. This one was like a long-practiced perfectly coordinated dance; as if their lips fully understood each other’s biorhythm. Ben’s fingertips gently massaged her scalp through her thick cascading hair. Was he planning to make her fall into a deep blissful slumber? Devi was already being pulled into a trance where all her senses, barring that of her vision (because her eyes were closed shut), were being preyed upon mercilessly by the velvety touch of Ben’s lips, the faint moans coming out of him, the savory taste of his tongue, and his mild woodsy cologne. Perhaps this was all a dream. Perhaps they had been transported to some parallel universe where the senses were elevated and numbed at the same time. 

Only if the same could be told about her lungs.

Why could not Devi be like the anaerobic bacteria who would not need oxygen to survive? But then, perhaps, she would be reduced to a single-cell organism and, for sure, kissing would not be as much ecstatic as this. With such a less appetizing thought at the back of her mind, Devi pulled back reluctantly to fill her lungs with the much-needed air. 

Her eyes fluttered open to get their share of the trance as they absorbed every minute feature on Ben’s face. Devi seemed to have had a similar effect on him, as evidenced by his dazed look. His ocean blue eyes moved between her eyes and lips. With a faint grunt, he leaned forward again to resume their kiss.

A sudden flash of déjà vu played through Devi’s mind. When Ben had leaned similarly towards her for a kiss, twice in vain. When she had reminded him about his girlfriend Shira. When everything had turned awkward between them in a flash of a moment.

How could Devi forget about that? Nothing had changed in their individual life. Then how could she kiss Ben knowing fully well that he already had a girlfriend?  
As if a jolt of an electric shock ran through Devi’s spine, she pushed Ben away at an arm’s length.

“What happe…”

“I am sorry, Ben. This is all wrong. We are all wrong. This shouldn’t have happened. Forget that this happened,” blurted Devi as she quickly turned her back towards him and opened the car door wide.

“Devi…”

She didn’t look back as she closed the door behind and ran away from the car, away from him, as if her life depended on it.  
...............................................  
Endless summer nights....  
...............................................

Trent’s house was brimming with a bunch of noisy teenagers. It would be a shame to waste the first gorgeous week of summer without throwing a ‘smashing party’ every other evening. And, so had the cool kids of the class taken turn to host a party at their home. That night was Trent’s turn. 

Devi hopped out of the red jeep from the passenger’s side. She smoothed her billowing skirt and looked in the side mirror to catch any trace of last minute make up faux pas on her face. Paxton walked around the front of the jeep to join his girlfriend. Yes, they were an item for almost a year now. 

It all started after Devi had been back home from her Malibu trip and checked her phone’s voice messages. Paxton wanted to hang out with her. Devi had a hard time believing it all at first. Was she really in a parallel universe where suddenly Lord Ganesha had decided to fulfill all her prayers in a single day? With much trepidation, she had called Paxton and they met the following day after school. It was a weird meeting to begin with. Both struggled to start a coherent conversation. Then Paxton, being the older and wiser of the two, suggested that they might as well start afresh, and see where it would lead them. Devi was not in a position to ponder much. A new beginning was always a better solution, as she had learnt in her relationship with her mother. Perhaps Lord Ganesha had truly redeemed her of her past mistakes and decided to give her a chance to be a better daughter, friend, girlfriend and human being. 

Inside Trent’s house all the familiar faces looked around to watch the most talked about couple in school enter. 

“Here comes our COYOTE GIRL!” hollered one of them, followed by a chorus from the others.

Devi gave an unsure smile, and looked at Paxton, who placed his arm gently around her shoulders and gave her a reassuring squeeze. 

“Hey, stop teasing my girl,” said Paxton in his usual leisurely drawl.

Devi did not feel awkward or like a fish out of tank at such parties anymore. Being with Paxton meant that she was better acquainted with the cool crowd than before. She could carry on a decent conversation with any one of them for well over a couple of minutes. And then going to fetch a drink or some snacks was always a good excuse to escape when such conversation started hitting a dead end. She had mastered her ways in having a ‘fruitful’ time at such parties well by now. 

Devi was nursing a glass of fruit punch in her hand at the kitchen when she spotted Ben and Shira enter together. Shira was immediately welcomed by the jocks with open arms, leaving aside Ben, as if he was not even there. Devi straightened her back against the kitchen counter and flashed a smile as she saw Ben noticing her.

It had been an interesting year with Ben as well. After their Malibu kiss episode, neither broached the topic in their conversation. In fact, their conversation itself had taken a hiatus for few weeks. Devi and Ben would acknowledge each other’s presence with an almost imperceptible nod at their lockers every morning, and that would be all. No exchange of barbs or pleasantries. Inside the classroom, their classmates and teachers, especially Mr. Shapiro, would wait for an explosion any moment with an abated breath, but nothing happened. Neither would they fight to get the first chance at answering the questions, nor would they mock each other if they failed to answer correctly. For some time, Mr. Shapiro was almost convinced that the two powerful voices had actually paid heed to his suggestion of setting aside their rivalry for the good of the class. But after some time, even Mr. Shapiro became exasperated with the banality of the situation. Then finally one day, after a veiled attempt at baiting the two into a conflict trap, Mr. Shapiro managed to reignite the spark in his class yet again. 

Ben and Devi were back being openly competitive again, although the intensity had softened considerably. They did not wish each other’s complete annihilation or invent derogatory nickname anymore. It was as if all the spite had evaporated between them. What was left was only an urge to one-up each other, which was much acceptable by everyone around them. 

Ben walked up to the kitchen counter and picked a glass of punch.

“Any idea if this one has been flavored with Trent’s balls too?” he asked Devi as he stood beside her.

“Not that I know of, Gross. Paxton made sure that Trent was not allowed to be anywhere near the bowl when the punch was being prepared,” replied Devi smugly.

“Hmm, smart thinking by Paxton. Seems you are rubbing off some grey matter on him, David,” scoffed Ben with a crooked smile.

“Hey, stop ridiculing my boyfriend in front of me,” retorted Devi with a punch at his upper arm.

Ben raised his hands in defeat. “Sorry, my bad.”

They stood there in a comfortable silence for few minutes. Devi saw Paxton and the others playing a raucous game of darts at the other end of the hall, and Shira grooving to some loud beats at the backyard. It would make perfect sense if either of them left the kitchen counter and headed towards their respective partner, but they just stay put.

“So… How have you been?” asked Ben, looking straight ahead away from her.

Devi doubted for a second her decision to not join Paxton at the darts game. She had avoided having the ‘talk’ with Ben for so long. It had almost cost her losing the equilibrium of her life that was so precariously balanced on her constant urge to have a competitive edge over Ben, among several other things. No wonder, the day when they broke into a fight in the history class after a long hiatus of peaceful nonchalance, she had been relieved. Life was back normal again; as good as it gets. 

“Good. Great actually. How about you?”

“Not bad. As I am scooting closer to my goal of getting into an ivy, things are looking pretty smooth and easy,” replied Ben with a shrug.

Devi rolled her eyes. “Confident much, huh?” 

Ben turned to her with a slight smile. “Yup. As long as you are there to keep the ball rolling, David, I don’t have much to bother about. Just need to score half a point more than you in every paper.”

“Then tough luck, Gross. I am leaving for India next month for the rest of my high school terms,” muttered Devi.

“What? You’re joking, right?” asked Ben in exasperation. 

Devi shook her head and looked down at her feet.

“No. I’m not joking. I made a deal with mom. That I would spend the last two years of my high school in India, with my full family there. And after that I will be back here for my studies, career and rest of the life. She feels this is the only opportunity I will get to know my roots. Once I get into college and further studies, and then job and all, I will never find time to go there.”

Ben still could not fathom it. “But… but how about your school and studies? How will you adjust with the Indian education system?” 

“There are international schools in India that follow American education system. I am not going to live in a jungle, Ben,” replied Devi with a soft giggle.

Ben did not reply. He did not seem to perceive the humor in her comment.

“Does Paxton know that you are leaving? Is he OK with that?” he spoke after few moments.

“I kind of told him that we are planning to go to India for a couple of years. He doesn’t yet know it is that soon,” mumbled Devi while playing with her empty glass.

Ben turned to face the counter and held on to its edge firmly.

“I don’t know how to react, frankly, David. I guess this was something really out of the blue.”

Devi forced a broad smile on her face. “I guess you should be happy, Ben. Finally, you will not have to lose your sleep over getting crushed by me in every class.”

“I guess I will miss fighting with…”

Suddenly Trent called out everyone in the room. “Hey, hey, look here. We are going to start the biggest attraction of tonight’s party now. The blooper clips of the year.” 

The big TV screen came alive with random video clips filmed in the school. The videos captured mostly hilarious and embarrassing moments of the school students at various point of time throughout the past year. Everyone at the party burst out in laughter as each clip played on, often at the expense of the subject of the clip, if that person was present among them.

Devi was giggling at a clip of Trent where he slipped on a banana peel in the locker corridor, when it transitioned abruptly to the next one which seemed like being filmed within the janitor’s closet. It had Shira and Mike, the school football captain in it. They were making out very passionately. Even the sounds of their moan was captured by the phone pretty distinctly. The laughter among the audience died out, giving way to hooting and catcalls. 

Ben had been sipping punch from his glass, facing away from the TV screen. Devi just held her breath, glancing barely at him. She just fervently wished that the video clip would be over before he turned around. But suddenly the video became more alive and audible when Shira and Mike started a conversation in it.

“So, how was it? Better or worse than your Richie rich boyfriend?” Mike was heard to be asking.

“Ben? O.M.Geeeee. He is such a snooze. He makes me doze off every time we make out,” snorted Shira followed by Mike guffawing.

Ben had already turned around by that time, staring at the TV screen with an incredulous expression. 

“Don’t worry, babe. I will let your steam off whenever you need me to,” spoke Mike as he started nibbling Shira’s neck.

By that moment the crowd in the room had exploded in a rowdy commotion of jeers and whistles, pointing at Ben. Shira was nowhere to be seen. Before he could be publicly humiliated any further, Ben stormed out of everyone’s sight.

Devi stood motionless at her position. It was not before Paxton came and gently shook her out of her stupor, that she realized her cheeks were moist with tears.

'I am sorry, Ben...'


	2. Forever Autumn-I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This Devi was far beyond the reach of his flights of fantasy... This Devi was a sorcerer, she could suck out anyone’s sanity at her free will... This Devi was capable of snatching his heart out of his chest without him even realizing...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all, I am very grateful to every reader for the wonderful responses. I did not expect it, honestly. This chapter continues with the story where Devi and Ben meet after more than 9 years. I have some confessions to make here again. I am a very lazy writer. I hate doing much research for my own writing, so I kind of barely touched into much details about the lives and academic journey of these two nerds in this chapter. However, I promise to do some research to at least keep the bare minimum accuracy in my forthcoming chapters. What I did in this chapter was inject too much of tacky Bollywood-ness. I am sorry if it is too cringe-worthy for you. You can take it like a filler before the more serious stuff arrives. This is the first part of Autumn season in the story.

Devi took out her phone from her pocket as she dragged her trolley bag out and locked the door behind. She sent a short text to her roommate saying she would be back by Sunday late night. As she hopped in a cab to the railway station, she called Eleanor.

“Is this the aspiring baby catcher calling the aspiring Broadway Bohemian girl?” spoke Eleanor in a dramatic tone as she picked up the call.

“Yes, El. I hope you are game for a fun Friday night filled with wine and…”

“words of wisdom,” finished Eleanor.

Devi giggled. “Exactly.” 

It was Devi’s last year at her med school. Grueling was the only way she could define her days there. Thus, when she got an invitation to attend her friend Jasleen’s wedding at the Long Islands, she was overjoyed that a weekend of fun was there to look forward to. She planned to spend the Friday night with Eleanor at NYC, and then head to Long Islands Saturday morning.

“So, tomorrow is the wedding?” asked Fabiola over the video call once Devi and Eleanor connected to her after dinner.

“Wedding is on Sunday. Tomorrow morning there’s a pre-wedding ceremony called Mehendi followed by a musical gala evening or Sangeet,” replied Devi while pouring rosé in her glass.

“Ooh… Sounds so extravagant. Very much like the Priyanka-Nick wedding,” commented El.

Devi gave her a death glare for reminding her one of the biggest tragedies of her life.

Eve joined Fab in the screen. “Sorry Devi, but who is this Jasleen?”

“Oh, Jasleen is my friend from India,” said Devi.

“Yup. Her first Indian-Indian friend,” pointed out Fab.

Devi nodded her head in agreement. “Yes. So, Jasleen and I did our last two years of school together in India, and we both went to Princeton for our undergrad. She is getting married in a traditional Punjabi wedding which I will be attending.”

“So, you are her bride’s maid or maid of honor?” asked Fab excitedly.

“There’s no such thing in a Punjabi wedding. There will be several ceremonies, lots of food, music, dance and free flowing alcohol,” said Devi with a giggle.

“Weddings are the playground of romantic adventures and misadventures. We all hope something worthy of a quintessential gossip column happens this weekend, Devi, so that you will have a lot to tell us about next time we meet,” spoke Eleanor with her typical dramatic flair and drank down the wine in her glass at once.

.......

Next morning, Devi headed to the resort wherein Jasleen was getting married. On reaching Long Islands, the riot of fall colors took her breath away. It seemed all her fatigue and stress were wiped out by the vibrancy of her surroundings. 

The day passed in a blur with getting her palms tattooed in henna and preparing for the evening musical function. Devi took a minute to think, amidst all these hustle bustle, how her perception about Indian traditions had undergone a seismic shift after spending two years in that country. She did not find it weird or embarrassing anymore to be amongst other Indians. Nor did she think that there was any clash between her American and Indian identities. They had their own place in her existence, in a perfect harmony.

By the evening, more guests arrived. A huge stage was set up on the lawn with numerous colorful lights for the Sangeet. The grooms’ family and friends too arrived and joined the bride’s side.

“I still can’t believe you are going for an arranged marriage, Jas,” stated Devi while trying to drape herself in a red chiffon saree but failing miserably.  
Jasleen laughed at her friend’s futile attempt.

“Wait Devi, let me drape the saree for you. Otherwise, in a few minutes up on the stage, you will be at one end and your saree will be floating over the other. All the guests will have to endure a free strip show without even asking for one,” she joked while picking up the 9 yards cloth.

Devi stood patiently as her friend went on with probing and tucking the saree in her underskirt. “You didn’t answer my question, Jas.”

“Arranged marriage these days is not like the past where you saw your groom for the first time on your wedding day. Gurpreet and I liked each other’s profile on the matrimonial site, went for a couple of dates to meet and know each other a bit. Then the families met for lunch one day. After that we dated a bit more, and voila, wedding was fixed,” spoke Jasleen matter-of-factly.

“Hmm, sounds like a fast track version of Tinder with a parent’s approval button,” replied Devi with a simper.

Jasleen giggled. “You may say so. Now let’s go, everyone must be waiting for us.” 

Devi met Gurpreet for the first time that evening. He seemed to be a very polite and congenial man. 

“Good choice, Jas. Very handsome too,” whispered Devi at her friend’s ear.

“So, are you all ready for the Sangeet face-off this evening? I have my army of groomsmen to fight and win the crown tonight,” declared Gurpreet.

Devi was laughing with Jasleen at his declaration, when an approaching face shook her out of her wit.

“What the hell! What are you even doing here in an Indian wedding?”

“Oh, come on! Are you kidding me?”

Jasleen and Gurpreet stared at their friends with utter bewilderment.

“Do you two know each other?” asked Gurpreet hesitantly.

“Oh yes, David and I went to the same school at San Fernando Valley,” replied Ben with a mix of surprise and joy in his face.

“David? Oh my god, are you THE Ben Gross?” gasped Jasleen. Even Gurpreet’s face fell with realization hearing Devi’s nickname.

Ben raised a brow towards Devi.

“Never mind, Jas. I am sure Gurpreet and you have a lot of important people to meet now. Please go ahead. We will join you soon,” spoke Devi, as she narrowed her eyes at Ben.

“Fine. We are leaving you two to catch up. Just make sure you do not throttle each other publicly and ruin the evening,” warned Jasleen before walking away with Gurpreet.

“So, we meet again,” spoke Ben.

Devi crossed her arms in front. “So it seems.”

“Nine years, or is it even more than that? And you are still obsessed with me, David.” Ben’s grin spread from ear to ear.

“In your dreams, Gross,” replied Devi with a roll of her eyes.

They kept glaring at each other a few moments more before bursting into laughter together.

“It’s good to see you, David, after all these years,” spoke Ben as he held his arms wide.

Devi stepped towards him with a grin and pulled him in a gentle hug. “Good to see you too, Ben.”

Immediately, a mild flowery scent, very characteristic of Devi, engulfed Ben. He smiled at the thought that even ten years had not been able to wipe out the mesmeric memory of Malibu. He could easily spend rest of his life just inhaling her scent in his embrace like this. But it was over as soon as it happened.

“Let’s get ourselves something to drink, eh?” spoke Devi and they walked to the makeshift bar counter.

“What can I offer you sir, ma’am?” asked the bartender.

Devi and Ben’s eyes met with a glint of mischief.

“We’d like two martinis please,” said Ben, eliciting a chuckle from Devi.

“Sure, sir,” replied the bartender and busied himself preparing the drinks.

As he turned towards them offering the two stemmed glasses with the ordered drink, Devi gave him a coquettish smile. “It’s a relief that you didn’t ask for our IDs.  
Else I would have to walk all the way to my room to get mine.”

The young bartender looked very confused. 

“It’s fine David. I could always offer him a one,” remarked Ben with a wink.

“And there’s always one more where that came from,” blurted Devi, almost at the verge of bursting out in laughter.

By that time, the bartender was completely out of his wits.

“Never mind, we were just kidding. Thanks for the drinks,” said Ben raising his glass and dragged a giggling Devi away from the counter.

“God! That was so crazy. We were so stupid and crazy back then. Remember our Russia guy?” spoke Devi as they walked towards the gathering in front of the stage.

“Oh my god, he was there at Harvard with me. He was exactly the same traitor there, getting everyone in trouble.” Ben tittered shaking his head. Devi almost choked on her martini laughing.

A young girl in a bright traditional skirt came running to them and grabbed Devi’s arm.

“Devi, you are up next. Get ready.”

“Uh oh, so soon?” exclaimed Devi and the girl nodded.

Ben looked from the girl to Devi. “What is it, David?”

“Uhm. I am going to go up the stage and perform a dance. You hold my martini for the time being. And just make sure not to make fun of my dance, got it?” blurted Devi in one breath and darted to the direction of the stage with the young girl even before Ben could open his mouth in response.

It was not before then that Ben started taking in his surroundings. He had completely shut off everyone and everything around him the moment his eyes had landed on Devi. Only now he realized that the lawn was filled with a throng of gorgeously dressed people, all busy in drinking and merry-making. Some upbeat Bollywood music was continuously being blared from the huge music systems placed around the lawn, and people were taking their turn to perform some kind of dance or skit on the stage. Gurpreet had told him that the Sangeet ceremony was kind of a dance-off, taken rather too seriously, between the bride and the groom’s sides, and Ben was pretty amused and curious to see what happened in it.

Ben understood that Devi was also taking part in that competition. Seeing her competitive nature was nothing new, but seeing her dance was definitely a first for him. He strolled to the front of the stage, to a vantage point. He could never miss a chance of pointing out her missteps, Ben thought smilingly.

_“A desi girl, a desi girl…”_

As the drum beats started enlivening the atmosphere, Devi ambled on the stage, holding the end of her saree which floated like a wing behind her. All the bright fluorescent lights from the top beamed on her. Her luscious long hair blew in the wind in a dramatic swirl, which, Ben discovered to his utmost surprise, was all due to a strategically placed fan in front of the stage.

And it was the very first time in the evening when Ben actually noticed Devi’s attire. All this while he was too giddy after meeting her in almost a decade to pay much attention to her traditional costume.

“Holy fuck! What is she even wearing?” he muttered under his breath in equal shock and delight.

Devi’s red chiffon saree clad her body snugly, while her golden beige blouse barely covered her torso, exposing the flawless mocha skin of her midriff, collarbone and almost her entire back. Ben was not prepared for such a jaw-dropping transformation of his former nemesis. He tried his absolute best to keep his brain working, but it seemed all the wires had gone entangled and short-circuited. The only workable memory in his mind reminded him that Devi’s saree was of the same shade of red as the blouse she was wearing on the night of their wine heist during the model UN trip. And damn, was it not the same night he wished that Mr. Shapiro had not barged in their impromptu party, or that everyone in the room had just toasted him and Devi and left them to their own? A deluge of memories and emotions clogged every single cell of Ben’s already dysfunctional brain.

_“Who’s the hottest girl in the world… A desi girl… A desi girl…”_

Ben was brought to his senses by the huge cheer and whistling from the audience around him. Suddenly, he was acutely aware of how much of an effect Devi was having on every single male present there. To his utter shock, Ben noted some of them actually joined her on the stage, showing off their Bollywood moves. Raw jealousy shot through his veins; unlike anything he had felt in his life before. 

Devi’s body moved effortlessly with the music, with a mischievous glint in her eyes and a flirty smile. Ben could only think of her as an embodiment of a siren, crushing and grinding every man’s heart in her wake without the slightest care. This Devi was far beyond the reach of his flights of fantasy. This Devi was a sorcerer, she could suck out anyone’s sanity at her free will. This Devi was capable of snatching his heart out of his chest without him even realizing. 

The music stopped after a few minutes more, and the raucous response from the audience indicated that it was the showstopper performance of the evening. Devi high-fived with Jasleen and the other members of her family, celebrating their triumph over the groom’s side. 

Ben was still holding the two stemmed glasses in his hands when Devi came running to him.

“Ben, did you enjoy it?” she huffed as she took one glass from him and gulped the drink all at once.

He was still at a loss of words. With his head slightly tilted and mouth agape, he watched Devi asking him if he was going to drink his martini, and without waiting for his answer guzzled his drink clear as well.

Suddenly, from his peripheral vision, Ben noticed some of the men who had been busy exhibiting their machismo to Devi on the stage were heading towards them, or her, to be precise. It was the biggest threat that Ben had ever perceived, immediately snaking his arm around Devi’s waist and pulling her along with him in the opposite direction. 

“Hey, Gross, what’s the matter with you? Why are you being so weird?” exclaimed Devi.

“Nothing. Just making sure my arch-nemesis doesn’t garner undue attention from an army of unfuckable hooligans,” replied Ben before whisking her away from the lawn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapter title is from the Moody Blues song Forever Autumn, and the Bollywood song used in the sequence is Desi Girl from a Priyanka Chopra movie, Dostana. Desi means native in Hindi, and is used for anything and everything Indian in a foreign context.


	3. Forever Autumn-II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TweedleDumb and TweedleIdiot

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi dear friends, I am so sorry for such late update. I did not expect this chapter to take so much time to materialize. Several factors affected me in the past week, and I was too distracted to even write a single coherent sentence. However, I managed to do write it finally. Honestly, I had one string of thoughts when I started writing this chapter, and by the time I finished it, it came out something entirely different. I hope you will like it. Let me know how you feel about it.

“Ben! What was that?” exclaimed Devi, pulling both him and herself to a halt after running aimlessly for few minutes.

Ben realized how intimately his arm was still wrapped around Devi’s waist, over her red saree. It felt so familiar, yet eerily bizarre. A sight frown above Devi’s kohl-lined eyes and a scrunch on her nose directed at him shook him out of his trance. He quickly removed his hand and started scratching the back of his neck.

“Oh, uhm. It was… it was nothing. Just wanted to make sure those drunkards did not bother you, that’s all,” Ben mumbled.

Devi was facing him now. A slight hint of a smirk appeared at the corner of her mouth.

“THE Ben Gross is jealous of those men who danced with me. How adorable,” she said, her eyes twinkling with pure mirth.

Ben could feel his cheeks burning. He looked away for a second to collect his thoughts back. 

Devi and jealousy were two emotions in Ben’s head that went hand in hand during much of his entire life. Much to the ignorance of the onlooker, who often assumed that Ben was jealous every time Devi beat him at any academic event, he was actually awed and inspired by her achievements, albeit in the most hidden cove of his heart. Jealousy was reserved for more unsolicited occasions, where boys other than him succeeded in distracting Devi from their seemingly never ending ‘game of bones’; a term coined by principal Grubbs, after they literally fought like dogs in the biology laboratory over labeling a skeleton. 

_Once, at the 5th grade spelling bee contest, Ben had almost given up his fight for the much-coveted title, when he saw how a boy- another contestant from a different school, had become overly friendly with Devi during the day. If letting Devi win meant she would be back teasing Ben for his failure, leaving that stupid boy behind, then so be it. However, Ben did not have to resort to such extreme measure, because soon Devi got bored of her fawning admirer and scared him away. In a similar incident during the inter-school science championship of 7th grade, another budding admirer of Devi had approached Ben to get introduced to the fiery Indian-American girl, who was not only incisive with her intelligence, but also mesmerizing with her beauty. The first thought that had crossed Ben’s mind was to punch that boy square in his face. But considering the advanced stage of the championship, he did not have the latitude to take such a risk. However, Ben’s 12 years genius mind came up with a ‘brilliant’ solution that would not only put a stop to all such unwarranted ‘lover-boys’ around Devi, but also a perennial topic of conflict between the two to keep the fire burning. Thus, that very day, Devi and her friends, Eleanor and Fabiola were crowned with the demeaning nickname of UN, which followed them through middle school to high school. Of course, Devi succeeded to shed off her severely disparaging image in the school the moment she and Paxton became an item._

With that thought, Ben came back to the present, straightened his shoulders and said, “I think you are just drunk from those two margaritas, David. Shame on you for still having such low alcohol tolerance at 25.”

Devi narrowed her eyes. “Oh, really? Then I guess, I should go back and join those drunkards again.”

Ben’s face lost all colors immediately.

“Th-that’s not a good idea, David. Let’s go eat something, eh? I am starving,” he replied quickly.

He grabbed her forearm and started walking towards a marquee that was set up on the other end of the lawn.

“Your arms are freezing, David! What made you wear such a revealing outfit in New York autumn? That too made of thin chiffon?” rebuked Ben.

“That’s Indian wedding fashion, you won’t understand, Ben,” replied Devi rolling her eyes.

Ben took off his jacket and placed it on her shoulders. “Take this, or else you will freeze to death even before tomorrow’s wedding.”

“Whoa, the more I see the more I become impressed, Ben. When did you learn all such chivalry?” Devi sneered. She took off her heavy dangly earrings and placed them in the jacket pocket.

Walking to the buffet counter, Devi stifled a laughter. “Ben, there is nothing here that your weak-ass taste buds can endure remotely,” she quipped.

Ben gave her a questioning look before scanning through all the colorful and intensely flavored array of dishes.

“That one looks pretty less spicy. It does not have the fiery red or orange color,” he said pointing to a dish of Navratan Korma.

Devi inspected it closely. “You are right, Gross. It definitely is on the very low-spice scale for Indian palate. But knowing you, and your spice tolerance, I would suggest you not to take the risk,” she spoke matter-of-factly.

As if Devi was throwing down a challenge to Ben that he could not let go without a fight, he picked up a white plate, scooped up a ladle full of the small, evenly cut colorful vegetables, nuts and cottage cheese in a thick creamy sauce, and poured it over his plate. The server at the counter placed a soft white bread called ‘Kulcha’ (as labeled on the table) on his plate to go with the korma. 

“Challenge accepted, David,” muttered Ben, his big blue eyes sparkling with determination.

Devi flashed a devilish smile at him. “Fantastic. You will not drink a single glass of water or any liquid before finishing every morsel on your plate, got it? Let’s see how Ben Gross gets engrossed in the Indian food spice challenge.”

Ben failed in his challenge miserably, earning copious jeers from Devi in addition to his burning mouth. But all his woes were allayed as soon as Devi fed him spoonful of mint raita and made him a sandwich with naan bread, salads and grilled meat that was mildly seasoned for him. 

They strolled out of the marquee and finding an empty bench overlooking the lake they sat down.

“Even having Gurpreet as your close friend for years couldn’t make you get used to the minimum level of spices, Gross. You are such a baby,” proclaimed Devi while taking a bite of her version of the naan bread sandwich filled with chicken tikkas and salad.

Ben smiled a little and looked intently at the sandwich in his hand. “Yeah, because you were not there to teach me how to eat spicy food and not get killed.”

“Ben…”

He looked up immediately and seeing Devi staring at him with a strange gaze took a sharp breath in and flashed a toothy smile.

“Just joking, David. I know I could never trust you with anything as delicate as spice tolerance ever. Given a chance, you would have slain me with some red chili powder just because I beat you by half a point,” remarked Ben laughingly.

Devi could feel a warmth creeping up her cheeks and back of her neck. Although Ben deftly diffused the tension that had cropped up between them with his single remark, deep inside, some memories and emotions she had shoved to the deep crevices in her mind started resurfacing.

_After that fateful party at Trent’s house, Ben did not go to the school for weeks. His parents provided a medical certificate to Principal Grubbs that mentioned Ben was in an urgent need of complete rest. After first few days, the gossips and jokes about Ben’s public humiliation too died out, as there were far more interesting stuff going on in the cool kids’ lives. Devi tried calling him, sent him numerous texts, but no reply came back. He had deleted all his social networking accounts, and had become practically inaccessible. Soon, her life became immensely busy, as the move to India was not like just a summer vacation getaway. However, amidst all that hustle-bustle, Devi could convince Nalini to let her host a small party at home for close friends about a week before their departure. It was nothing like the parties she had attended so far in her high school days. Only Eleanor, Fabiola, Eve, Oliver, Jonah, Trent, Paxton and Rebecca were there. Devi had called Ben, even tried calling him from her friends and Kamala’s phone, but he never picked up. Despite Nalini’s strict list of ‘to-dos’ and ‘not-to-dos’, it turned out to be the coziest and most fun-filled school gathering in all their memories. Towards the end of the party, Paxton offered to take everyone out for an ice-cream treat._

_Paxton had been surprisingly very composed about the whole ‘Devi moving to India’ situation. Pretty soon during their time together, Devi realized that Paxton preferred being unruffled in most situations; it was not because he was apathetic to others, but more so because it was his inherent nature. So very unlike her headstrong bordering on explosive persona._

_On their way back from the ice-cream treat, it was only Paxton and Devi in his car, driving back to drop her home._

_“You seemed a bit off this evening. What happened?” Paxton asked._

_Devi thought she was very cheerful during the party. Her friends did not complain._

_“What? Why? Nothing happened,” she replied with a bit more force than required._

_“You kept looking at the main door even when we all had arrived for long. Were you waiting for someone else?” he spoke with an even tone, keeping his eyes on the road._

_Devi froze in her seat. She did not realize her anxiety for Ben’s absence in the party had been that apparent. Habitually, she thought of denying the entire thing. But something inside her poked her conscience. Paxton had been the most understanding boyfriend she could think of. He had not raised a storm over her moving to India plan. He did not issue her a long list of conditions in order to maintain a long-distance relationship. He had simply told her that it did not matter what lay ahead, what mattered was the beautiful time they had spent together. Wasn’t that what they had agreed upon in the first place? To see ‘where it would lead them’? So, yes, he deserved to know the truth._

_“I was waiting for Ben to come to the party,” she mumbled._

_“Ben?” Paxton chuckled a little and stole a quick glance of her before focusing on the road again. “I thought you two were not on friendly terms. Always fighting like crazy.”_

_Devi took a sharp breath in._

_“I kissed him once, at Malibu, when I went to spread my dad’s ashes in the sea, before you and I got together,” she blurted._

_“Oh,” came Paxton’s short reply._

_“I swear, I never cheated on you, Paxton,” Devi added quickly in panic._

_He nodded his head once in slow-motion._

_“But you could never forget him,” he drawled._

_Devi could feel warm tears gathering in her eyes, making her vision blurry._

_“I am sorry Paxton. I never meant to hide anything from you,” she spoke as her voice choked with emotion._

_“Did you ever talk to him about it?” he asked further._

_Devi shook her head in silence._

_Paxton sighed and slowly turned his car to the curbside in front of Devi’s house._

_“Tell me one thing, Devi. Honestly. Would you have chosen to be with Ben, had I not left voice messages for you to meet up that day?” questioned Paxton, his eyes fixed on the dashboard._

_A tear rolled down Devi’s cheek. She could not form an answer either in her head or her heart._

_“Sometimes, I really struggled to understand what went inside your mind, Devi. But I will always cherish every beautiful moment we spent together,” he spoke under his breath. “Go out and rule the world. You will always have the biggest fan in me.”_

_That night Devi cried for hours. Her tears blurred the lines between her grief of her father’s untimely death, the pain of a bittersweet parting with Paxton and the ache of her unfounded estrangement with Ben._

_On the day of their departure, Devi sat with Kamala in her car, while Nalini took couple of the big suitcases which would not fit in Kamala’s car’s trunk with her in a separate cab to the airport. Devi wept while locking their house door behind. This was her home since she was born. This was the place she had grown up with her father’s profuse love and indulgence, and her mother’s discipline. This was the abode which she had all her memories etched on._

_Kamala placed her hand on Devi’s folded arms on her lap._

_“Two years is not a long time, Devi. It will pass so fast and in no time you will find yourself back in this country. Much sooner than you think,” she spoke soothingly._

_Devi wiped her face with the back of her hand._

_“Kamala, will you do me a favor, please?” she asked tentatively._

_“Yes, dear, anything for you,” replied Kamala with a smile._

_Devi sniffled. “Can you please stop for five minutes at Ben’s house on our way? I promise I won’t take long,” she pleaded._

_Kamala just nodded. “Sure, Devi. No problem.”_

_Devi stood nervously in front of the main door at Ben’s house. It had been over a month she had spoken to Ben. The week when he had finally started going to school, Devi was too occupied with her move, getting transfer certificate and recommendation letters. Moreover, Ben would escape the class the moment it was over, and he would not be seen around the lockers too._

_The door was opened by Ben’s mom. Devi was too surprised to react at first._

_“Oh, sweetie, how nice to see you after a long time. How have you been Diva?” she spoke in her usual chirpy voice._

_“Hello Mrs. Gross. It’s Devi. And I came to see Ben before I left for India,” Devi mumbled._

_“Oh yes, please come in. Ben has been a bit, what to say, unwell these days. He is not feeling a lot social, you know,” explained Mrs. Gross._

_Devi started feeling agitated._

_“Can I just quickly go and say bye to him? My cousin’s waiting outside in the car. We are on our way to the airport,” she blurted in a single breath._

_“Oh sure, definitely you can. Ben is in his room. Just knock at the door and say it is you,” replied Mrs. Gross with a brighter than necessary smile._

_Devi ran up the stairs and down the hallway. She knew very well the door that opened to Ben’s room. It was locked from inside._

_She knocked at the door few times. “Ben, it’s me, Devi. I am leaving for the airport. Just wanted to say bye before leaving. Please open the door.”_

_There was no response from inside._

_“Ben, please. Just for one minute. Open the door,” Devi pleaded, her voice trembling._

_“Ben, I am sorry. I was stupid, I was confused. And scared. I never wanted you to get hurt like that. Please Ben, open the door for me once. Please,” she whimpered._

_“Devi,” Kamala called her from downstairs. “Nalini aunty called and asked where we are. Let’s go.”_

_Devi stared at the closed door intently, wishing her mind had the power to break into the room and shake the life out of Ben for being so stubborn._

_“You will miss me, Ben. You will miss fighting with David. You will miss teasing David. And then you will realize that you were wrong, so wrong,” whispered Devi and started walking away from the door._

_Rest of her journey to the airport Devi cried hysterically. Kamala could not assuage her at all with her words or caring touches. When they reached the international departure terminal, Nalini was already waiting for them. She had an expression of disappointment on her face, but seeing Devi so distraught, even she became worried._

_“What happened Kanna? Are you feeling ok? Should I postpone our tickets?”_

_Devi hugged her tight and a new barrage of tears exploded. “No, mom. I don’t want to stay here anymore. Let’s go to India.”_

Devi gazed at Ben’s smiling face. “True, I was ready with a box of the hottest chili powder, waiting for you to open your door the day I was leaving for India. But you were just too coward to face me, Ben Gross.”

Ben’s smile vanished from his face. He opened his mouth and closed a few times, unable to form a reply.

“You were really mean that day, do you know? Just saying bye to your arch-nemesis for one last time would not hurt you that much,” spoke Devi pointedly.

Ben nodded his head. “True, it wouldn’t hurt much saying bye to the only person I thought who cared for me. It was mean not to open the door when my heart was breaking into pieces inside. It was absolutely coward of me to not ask you why you pushed me away after our kiss at Malibu. I understand it, Devi Vishwakumar. I get it.”

“Are you trying to blame me for everything that happened between us nine years back, Ben?” snapped Devi, standing up. 

“Nothing ever happened between us except for that one kiss, Devi. There is nothing to blame, and nothing to hide,” muttered Ben.

“You are right, Ben Gross. You are absolutely right. We have been nothing more than two bitter, unapologetic academic rivals. Just like exceptions prove the rule, that one kiss proved that we could never be together,” blurted Devi and stomped away to the direction of the crowd in the lawn.

Ben stayed on the bench for long, until the night grew darker and grimmer.

Next morning the wedding ceremony was even more ebullient, with more people and more fanfare. Ben felt quite an odd one out, so he chose to sit towards the back, away from the wedding mandap (a small decorated area where the wedding takes place around fire). He saw Devi running around with flowers or other paraphernalia around the bride and the groom, clearly very much involved in the whole ritual. Ben did not know how to approach her and talk after their last night’s debacle. He just waited for the wedding to be over so that he could get some privacy with Devi.

A little while later, a little girl came with Ben’s jacket that he had given to Devi last night. “Devi didi (sister) asked to give you this jacket. She said she would be too busy today to see you at all,” she informed.

Ben’s ears reddened in humiliation. Was it that insufferable for her to continue their conversation after last night? Ben thanked the little girl and left his seat. He was too dejected to be in that merry function at that moment. He quickly sent a text to Gurpreet, apologizing and saying something urgent came up at work and he needed to leave immediately.

Ben grabbed his jacket in his hand and walked to his car at the parking lot. Getting inside the car, he threw the jacket on the passenger seat and took the steering wheel. It was his good luck that the traffic was much lighter, it being Sunday, as he was too infuriated to pay much focus on the road as usual. When he reached home after about an hour’s drive, a sparkly object caught his eyes on the car floor.

It was one of the dangly earrings of Devi from last night. She must have forgotten to take them out.

And out of the blue, a tune came floating in his mind. One that he had just heard once in his life the night before.

_…Desi girl, my desi girl…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapter title is from the Moody Blues song Forever Autumn.


	4. Long, Long Winter- I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Ben she had last met at Jasleen’s wedding two years back was still very much like the good old Ben from high school. But this Ben was different, suaver and more confident. His blue eyes, which could easily suck her out of herself into a deep dark whirlpool of unfathomable depth in a flash of a moment, was piercing through her, challenging her to take the bait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! This chapter is yet again the first installment of the winter season in Bevi's life. I had intended to cover each season in a single chapter, but as I failed to do that in the autumn season episode, so did it happened with the winter. However, I had a very difficult time in articulating this chapter as well. The idea was there in my mind, but somehow the words were not coming out. I struggled a lot in writing this one, and I am scared that I will struggle even more in writing the following ones. But since I have kind of promised myself that I will not keep this fic unfinished, like some of my other ones in other fandoms, I will slog through it.
> 
> This chapter has more of Devi and Nalini, but it kind of paves the way to more Bevi moments that will come in the next chapter. Please let me know how you find the story so far. Thanks :)

Devi looked over the glass balcony wall at the vast stretches of the Ulsoor Lake as she sipped her coffee. It was a chilly winter morning in Bangalore, and the warmth from the coffee mug in her palms felt very comforting.

“This place is so serenely beautiful, mom. You made a good decision by taking up the offer with the medical research institute here in Bangalore. No one will believe such a tranquil piece of heaven exists in the heart of this chaotic city,” she remarked.

“True. After a long, tiring day at work, when I sit in this balcony with a cup of tea, all my fatigue vanishes,” spoke Nalini inhaling a deep breath.

Devi smiled warmly at her mom. Nalini looked at peace. Her decision to return to India permanently had been a difficult one to make, especially with Devi being in the US doing her residency program. But now she felt her daughter did not need her guidance, or surveillance− in Devi’s word, at every step of her life like before. Suddenly a feeling of being redundant started making way into her mind, and with the gaping hole of Mohan’s absence already gnawing at it now and then, Nalini decided to head back to India, take up a job she knew she would love, and be closer to her own people.

“You came for such a short time, Kanna. I just hoped you had few more days to spare after your conference,” said Nalini.

Devi sighed and made a face. “You know that I would love to stay back some more. But I can’t.”

“You remember Mrs. Iyenger? Our neighbor at Chennai? She will bite my ears off if she comes to know that you visited India and I didn’t let her know,” commented Nalini rolling her eyes.

“Oh my god! That annoying lady? She gifted me a huge box full of “Fair and Lovely fairness cream” on my 18th birthday! Saying it would help me lighten my complexion, since it is easier for ‘fair-skinned’ girls to find the best grooms,” said Devi, mimicking Mrs. Iyenger’s tone.

“What?!! Why didn’t you tell me then and there?” asked Nalini, exasperated.

“I dunked it in the garbage bin right away. I couldn’t believe that she claimed to be an educated and cultured person revered in the society, yet her head was stuck in the medieval darkness,” grumbled Devi.

“Huh, good that you told me, Kanna. I was going to ask you to meet her nephew when you go back to the US. Now that I know…”  
A frown appeared on Devi’s forehead. “Why would I meet her nephew, mom?”

Nalini gave her pointed look.

“Mom! Are you trying to fix me up with some random dude just like that? How can you think of doing that?” blurted Devi.

Nalini braced herself for the conversation she knew would not necessarily end up cordially. 

“Devi, stop overreacting. Mrs. Iyenger’s nephew works at Google and seemed like a nice guy from her words. But now that you told me about her stupid act, I am not going to ask you to meet him. But if you are asking about me trying to fix you up with someone suitable, I do not think that is wrong in any way. You are alone in that country now, without a family. I would want to see you get settled as soon as possible,” asserted Nalini.

Devi looked at her mom with disbelief. “You are joking, right?”

“No, I am not. When you told me about Steve, despite my initial reluctance of having a British son-in-law, I was happy that finally you were settling down. Your medical school was over and with your residency starting, you were on the right path,” muttered Nalini.

“I am still on my right path, mom,” objected Devi. 

Nalini shook her head. “No, you are not. You broke up with that poor fellow when he proposed you last winter. I really do not understand what goes on in that head of yours, Devi.”

Devi was too tensed to form a coherent explanation in her head. She just looked away from her mother to the blue expanse in front.

Nalini continued, “You are not getting any younger, Devi. You have to think of your future with a family too, besides your career. With your busy life time will slip away too fast, even before you realize. Who knows whether I will live that long to see the faces of my grandchildren?”

“Stop it, mom. Just stop it. Don’t assume the way you blackmailed Kamala in having babies and delaying her career, it will work on me as well. I am not going to walk into that trap!” exclaimed Devi.

“Trap? You think motherhood is a trap? Is that what they are teaching you at the OBG specialization these days?” asked Nalini with disbelief.

Devi stood up and grasped the edge of the table top. “Motherhood is not a trap, but the familial and societal obligation behind it definitely is. Yes, it is a universal truth that only a woman is capable of conceiving a child, but that is not her only capability. A woman should have a choice, and not be damned because she decides not to.”

Nalini looked at her with absolute shock. “Kanna, you wouldn’t be here in this world talking like that to me, if I had made the choice of not having you.”

“And I am thankful to you for choosing to have me, mom. But that doesn’t mean I have to be forced to make that choice too. I don’t know what my future holds for me, but right now, I am not ready for motherhood. Not for my career or freedom, but because I don’t think I am the ideal mother type. I would never force myself in a situation where I would become a mother just for the sake of becoming one, and fail miserably at it because I never wanted it in the first place. Now, if you will excuse me, I have to pack my bags and get on a plane in few hours,” spoke Devi before heading inside.

Nalini bit her lips, trying to hold back her tears that threatened to spill over, as she stared at few white birds flying over the lake to the farthest end.

………………………………….

Devi reclined her seat after the airhostess cleared her lunch tray. She felt drained, both physically and emotionally. This short trip to India for a medical conference was hectic, and then the short stay at her mom’s place with the last conversation to end it with had not been much helpful as well. Devi knew she had been too harsh on her mom. She could have handled the argument more tactfully. She should have handled it differently. Her thought process was inside her head, and without being articulated in a careful way, anyone could misunderstand her. Even Nalini, her mother. Especially, Nalini. 

Devi and Nalini had come a long way since the fateful moment when Devi had said that she wished it was her mother who had died instead of Mohan. The short trip to Malibu to spread Mohan’s ashes proved to be a new beginning for the mother-daughter duo. They started appreciating each other’s way of imbibing and expressing the grief that they had wrongfully erected as a wall in between them before. It was followed by a mutual understanding that they developed gradually with time. But at every instance it warranted a transparent dialog between them, where they considered each other’s perspective.

And today Devi had failed to follow that protocol.

It was futile to rerun the whole morning in her head and think of other possible explanations she could have furnished as a measure of damage-control, but somehow, she could not stop herself from going back to the point from where the conversation got derailed.

_Steve. The proposal. The night before._

_Devi and Steve had met at a Christmas market the winter following Jasleen’s wedding. Steve was new in the country, having arrived from the UK for an overseas project at work. He felt homesick with Christmas approaching, so, a chance meeting with a stranger as vivacious and gorgeous as Devi had soon made him feel hopeful about his future in this foreign land. It did not take long for Devi to sense his fondness for her, but she did not leap into any labelled relationship right away. She needed time for that, and it was exactly what she lacked the most. Residency program proved to be a far more difficult ballgame compared to her medical school days. Long uninterrupted hours of duty at the hospital drained her completely by the time she reached home. Devi could not even fathom spending a whole weekend with Steve doing what one needed to do in order to develop a real relationship beyond few hours of physical intimacy every week. Even after being around each other, more or less, for over a year, Devi was not sure about how much she had known Steve as a person. However, one thing she realized. Steve was a man of patience. And immense faith. When Devi would fail to meet him up for several days at a stretch owing to her crazy schedule, he did not utter a word of complaint. When he professed his love for her, without getting an immediate response, he did not push her. Steve waited long enough, until Devi came around and said she had started loving him too. Even when it was clear from her demeanor that the love in question might not be of equal weightage at the two ends, he seemed content._

_“I think I love Steve. Yes, I do. But I am still not sure if I am in love with him, if you know what I mean,” Devi had told her friends Eleanor and Fabiola when she updated them about the current situation in her life._

_But seeing Steve’s incessant optimism for their future together, Devi started believing in his dream too. Steve even started looking for a permanent position in the US office, so that once his project was over, he would not have to leave Devi. Everything seemed to be falling in place._

_It was the third Christmas since they had met for the first time. Steve had planned to introduce Devi to his family in the UK. He had already headed off, and Devi was supposed to join him a week later, just a day before Christmas Eve._

_Devi went to the airport straight from work on the night of her departure. She was very tired and the heavily congested and chaotic crowd at the airport made her even more agitated. The electronic check-in kiosks were out of order, and every one was being asked to queue up to get their boarding passes from the airlines counter.  
Devi sighed dejectedly and dragged her trolley bag to join the long serpentine queue in front of her. It moved with an insufferable slow pace, and with every passing minute Devi felt like throwing her bag at the airline staff and walk away. By the time she stood in front of the counter after what seemed like eons of waiting, she was almost at the verge of passing out. _

_“Miss Vishwakumar, I am sorry, the flight is full tonight. We cannot issue you a boarding pass,” informed the airline staff._

_“What? Are you kidding me? I have a confirmed ticket. How can you say that the flight is full and I cannot get on it?” exclaimed Devi._

_“Ma’am, you did not complete the web-check-in process. As it is the festive season, with unprecedented demand for flight tickets this year, we are not left with any other choice,” replied the staff._

_Devi pressed her eyes closed in frustration. She remembered receiving the message alert on her phone about the check in, but as she was rushing to an emergency case, she thought of doing it later. And then that ‘later’ never came to her mind before now._

_She took a deep breath to calm her nerves._

_“Is there any other flight tonight I can book with? Please?” she muttered through her teeth._

_“I am afraid, I don’t see any other flight with a single seat to spare tonight,” answered the staff._

_Devi was about to add something more when a familiar voice from two counters away made her look to her left._

_“What do you mean by both the business and first-class cabins are all full? Do you want me to pay some more premium on the fare I have already paid? Then tell me,” demanded Ben._

_The red-faced staff at the premium customer’s counter stammered a reply. “We are extremely sorry, sir. The premium cabins have all been blocked by a Hollywood A-lister, we cannot reveal the name of, and we had to modify all the existing bookings. We can offer you a one-night stay at the luxury airport hotel and get you on the first flight tomorrow morning.”_

_“Ma’am… ma’am,” called the staff in front of Devi to get her attention back._

_“Ye-yes, tell me, what can you offer me for the goof up you did with my ticket?” asked Devi._

_The staff looked at her with a bored expression. “Ma’am, it was your fault that you didn’t web-check-in. The most that I can do is get you on a flight tomorrow afternoon, without any extra fare.”_

_Devi’s face flushed with humiliation, but she checked herself from saying or doing anything that she would regret later._

_“That will be good,” she muttered and sneaked a glance at Ben at the other counter._

_Just at that moment Ben too turned his eyes casually at her direction and spotting her, he froze._

_“Ma’am, that’s your new ticket for tomorrow. Make sure you check in at the right time. Thanks for flying with us,” spoke the staff with a faux smile before hollering the next passenger._

_Devi walked out of the queue as did Ben and they stood facing each other. She was like a deer caught in the headlights. Her initial plan of fleeing the scene without being noticed by Ben was definitely not going to work there. So, she cleared her throat and braved a smile on her face._

_“Ben Gross getting denied boarding on a plane. What are the odds?”_

_Ben narrowed his eyes slightly. “Not more than seeing Vishwakumar having the same fate as me.”_

_“Oh, come on. You got offered a suite for a night at the airport hotel, and I will have to drag myself all the way home to come back tomorrow again. How does that make our fate similar?” blurted Devi throwing her arms up in frustration._

_“You can stay with me in that suite tonight, if you wish,” replied Ben with a smirk._

_Devi’s jaw almost dropped to the floor. The Ben she had last met at Jasleen’s wedding two years back was still very much like the good old Ben from high school. But this Ben was different, suaver and more confident. His blue eyes, which could easily suck her out of herself into a deep dark whirlpool of unfathomable depth in a flash of a moment, was piercing through her, challenging her to take the bait._

_“Uhm, as good as that sounds, I have to refuse, unfortunately. You have a nice time rolling on the Egyptian cotton sheet with imperial thread count all night. I will head back to my home and try to catch up some much-needed sleep. Merry Christmas in advance,” spoke Devi, adding some extra chirpiness to her voice and headed to the exit even before Ben could respond._

_It was freezing cold as she walked through the crowded pavement and tried booking a cab on the app. It said there were no cabs available. Even the ones generally waiting outside the airport were nowhere to be seen. It was a complete chaos outside, hordes of impatient people screaming at each other. Devi left her bag’s handle and covered her ears. The noise was too much for her to take at that moment. She had to leave this hell immediately, but how she did not know._

_Fatigue had started setting in her body and mind. She closed her eyes, breathing erratically, in the hope of having some vision that could help her out of this predicament. But all she saw were a pair of blue eyes, staring at her, waiting for her to take the first step. Devi jerked open her eyes and looked around frantically. Suddenly she felt herself lost in a sea of strangers, and the only ray of hope she had of redeeming herself was to find out those two orbs of deep blue sea again._

_Devi started pacing up quickly towards the terminal entrance. Her trolley bag seemed to have added on some extra weight within itself, as she struggled to drag it through people constantly coming in her way. She somehow managed to reach near the airlines counter where she had left Ben behind. But he was not there anymore. Devi rebuked herself for having that false hope of seeing him waiting for her to come back. Why would he? She never asked him to wait for her. She never gave him any hope to do so._

_Devi exhaled a deep sigh, as her shoulders drooped down with the weight of the futility of this whole situation. She looked around in search of any nook or corner that she could coop herself into for the rest of that godforsaken night. Spotting a seat at a distance just vacated by a man, she was just about to sprint when a force pulled her back at her elbow. Devi turned around instantly to see the same two blue eyes she had been desperately seeking for all this time in vain was gazing at her._

_“You are here. You stayed,” Devi managed to utter._

_“Yeah, I just wanted to make sure you were okay,” replied Ben with a soft smile._

_He held her gently by the shoulders and walked towards the exit._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An important point for you all to note. Please do not think I am trying to promote anti-natalism through any character here. I will elaborate further in my future chapters why Devi made such comments to her mother. I would like to apologize to anyone who feels bad by the reference. Please consider it to be nothing more than some artistic liberty I dared to take in making this a fiction. However, I am definitely a strong proponent against colorism in India (and racism as well) and could not help myself from letting Devi take a dig at it.
> 
> The chapter name is from the Bob Marley song with the same title.

**Author's Note:**

> The title of the fic is adopted from the Japanese song Four Seasons (四季) by Kim Hyun Joong. The chapter title is from the Richard Marx song with the same title.


End file.
